March Guest Designer - IBSIC Challenge #52

Hello!

Today is a happy day and a sad day all at the same time.  Once again, I am privileged to play along with the delightfully talented DT over at the Inspired By Stamping Inspiration Challenge (IBSIC).  That's the happy part.  The sad part is that this is my last week to do so.  Waahh!!  I have enjoyed my time with them immensely and will continue to play along in future challenges, so no, they can't completely get rid of me.  Heh.

The theme this week is inspired by this photo:

So as it's officially Spring (although some parts of the world have yet to see it), I thought I'd do something light, cheerful, perky.  WELL.  Do you ever have a card make itself?  OK, not literally, but what I mean is do you ever have a card that goes in the polar opposite direction of where you wanted it to go?  Because this card did just that.  

This is not light.  Nor cheerful.  Nor perky.  It's vintage.  And dark.  And er, um, downright (dare I say it?) MOODY.  Not bad moody, just...moody.  It's not my fault.  I sat and stared at my papers and dies and stamps and embellishments for a long, long time.  Ask my daughter.  Ask my DOG.  This card took on a life of its own, and if I didn't like it so much I'd almost be afraid of it.  

There are a lot of techniques here (and a lot of words to go with).  I stamped the first layer with a French script stamp because the subtle design already there wasn't enough for me.  

The flourish-y pieces started out as Nearly Navy over which I dry brushed some tan CI Paints, but that wasn't enough, so I then dry brushed Copper, which got the mood going.  The sentiment, from one of my favorite IBS sets "Just Because," was heat embossed with metallic copper ep (also from CI) and then cut with the IBS Fancy Labels Die 1.  Talk about gorgeous.  I inked the edges and then layered it onto a piece of blue CS cut with the next larger die.

I had recently made the tissue paper flowers and airbrushed the larger one with sage and blue Copics and sprayed the smaller one with my homemade antiquing spray.  The leaf flourishes are sage because, by then, I was concerned that the mood was getting too heavy and I needed to lighten things up a bit.

The fan was made with a strip of kraft that I had first drybrushed with a custom mix of CI paints lengthwise before scoring, then brushed over the top with Tan.  I added a gold button (antiqued with CI paint) and some ribbon bits underneath, then placed the whole thing on a lovely seam binding messy bow that I also airbrushed with a couple of colors of Copics.  Actually, it looked dirty when I had finished, so I went and rinsed out as much ink as I could, and THEN I liked it.  Go figure.

And that, lovely readers, is my swan song card for the divine IBSIC site for the month of March.  Maybe it's fitting that it be a little moody.

Thanks ladies, and happy crafting!!

 
Supplies:

Stamps: Just Because (IBS); En Francais (SU)
Ink: Versamark, Marina Mist
Paper: Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand, Marina Mist, Nearly Navy (all SU); sage scraps, Watercolor Bouquet (K&Co.)
Extras: Dies: Fancy Labels Die 1 (IBS); Leafy Flourish (Dienamics); Antique Frame and Accents (SB), vintage button, ribbon, tissue flowers, seam binding, copper ep (CI Paints) and copper paint (also CI).

Challenges entered:

Ladybug Crafts Ink - Anything Goes
Simon Says...Anything Goes
Divas by Design - Use Metal (button on fan embellishment, metallic copper paint and ep)
Really Reasonable Ribbon #68 - Flowers and Ribbon
Red Carpet Studio #29 - The Secret Garden
613 Ave. Create - Anything Goes

Guest Designer for Digital Delights!

Hello!

What a lovely day this is - I've been asked to be this week's Guest Designer over at Digital Delights by Louby Loo and am tickled half to death!

 

Digital Delights has a FABULOUS website.  Not only do they sell wonderful products (stamps, papers, cut files), but they have an awesome blog and tutorial section filled with dozens, and I mean DOZENS, of inspirational tutorials.  I've learned so much from this exciting website and refer to it regularly!

My card today is different (for me).  Can you tell what it is?  It's got lots of color, several layers, has a decoupaged piece...but... give up?

There's no ribbon!  Or flowers!  Or bling!!  And honestly, I tried adding some bits and pieces here and there, but in the end I felt this darling image, Flower Power Rosie, could stand on her own two feet, as could the Just For You Flower Sentiment.  Believe me, I tried.  Several times.  Digital Delights has scads of images like this that don't need a lot of frippery, and they're fun to color, to boot!!  (They have pre-colored images, too, in case you are so inclined.)

I decoupaged (or is it paper pieced - will someone enlighten me please?) her head/hat and popped it up on dimensionals.  I colored her with Copics and took a gamble on making the hat look like a straw hat as I had never done that before.  

Here's a better image of the popped up layer.  (Again - paper piecing?  Decoupage?)  You can see the subtle coloring around the edges of the image that I achieved using chalks.

And the sentiment, which I also colored with Copics.

And that, lovely peeps, is today's card.  It's not CAS, because I don't do CAS, and the image took ages to color, but this might well be the first card I've ever done that didn't have at least a bit of ribbon on it.

I tried.  Oh yes I did.  But little miss Rosie is just that good that she didn't need it.

Happy crafting!

Supplies:

Stamps: Flower Power Rosie, Just For You Flower Sentiment (both Digital Delights)

Ink: printer

Paper: X-Press It Blending Card, Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Brights Stack (SU)

Extras: Dies: Labels Eight, Decorative Labels Eight (SB); Circle Stax (Dienamics), Large Scallop Punch (SU), Copics.  See?  Told ya.

Challenges entered:

ALOTA #103 - Springtime

Charisma Cardz Challenge #11 - Die Cuts

Red Carpet Studio #29 - The Secret Garden

613 Ave. Create - Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T. #199 - Picture Inspiration (see below)

Tuesday Alchemy #53 - Over the Pastel Rainbow

Hello!

It's time again for another challenge at Tuesday Alchemy.  The theme for Challenge #53 is Over the Pastel Rainbow, and who doesn't love using pastels! 

The prizes are awesome and are as follows: 

Di's Digi Downloads - $10 store voucher

Stitchy Bear Stamps - $10 Store Voucher

LEJDesigns - 4 Digital Images

The DT was challenged to choose a color and do a monochromatic card in that color, and I chose green.  Huh??  What was I thinking?  Green butterflies?  Green flowers?  I must have REALLY been in the mood for a true challenge.  LOL!  But not being one to back down, here is what I came up with:

How's that for some green?  There are green flowers out there, and who knows, maybe somewhere in the tropics there may be some type of green butterfly.  (These almost look like the common sulphur yellow that are soon to be seen in the garden.)

The image is from Stitchy Bear and is "Floral Swirl," which you can find here.  I paper pieced the flowers with scraps of green printed CS and popped them up on dimensionals, and the butterflies were white which I colored with yellow-green and green Copics.  There are butterflies printed which are part of the floral stamp, but I felt like going the 3-D route this time and covered them with my embossed die cut lovelies.

I glittered the stamens on the flowers.

I applied SU Shimmer Paint to the debossed areas of the base layer.  Why debossed?  Because I was sloppy in applying the paint to the embossed side and thought I'd give the debossed side a try before trashing the piece, and turns out I preferred the look! 

I made a nice, squashy bow out of hand dyed seam binding then added a custom charm which I already had on hand - perfect match!

And that, dear friends, is my monochromatic pastel card.  Thank you so much for joining me today, and do stop on over at Tuesday Alchemy to play along and see what the rest of the lovely DT has made for your inspiration! 

Happy crafting!

Supplies:

Stamps: Floral Swirl (Stitchy Bear)
Paper: Always Artichoke, Wild Wasabi, Subtles Stack (SU); white scraps, green print scraps
Ink: printer
Extras: Dies: Ovals Stax 1 & 2 (Dienamics); Embosslits Beautiful Wings (SU), Copics, rhinestones, seam binding, custom charm, Shimmer Paint (SU), ef (unknown)

Challenges entered:

SCS TLC422 - Monochromatic Madness
Incy Wincy - Pastels
Love to Create #58 - Pastels
Inky Impressions #102 - Flowers
Charisma Cardz Challenge #11 - Diecuts
3 Girl JAM #14 - Green w/Ribbon
Frosted Designs - Up, Up and Away
Really Reasonable Ribbon #68 - Flowers & Ribbon
Red Carpet Studio #29 - The Secret Garden
613 Ave. Create - Anything Goes

Dogwoods are Blooming - Digi Darla Challenge #55

Hello!
 
It's time for another challenge over at Digi Darla's Challenges, and this week's theme is Challenge #55 - Flowers.  One winner will receive 5 Digi Darla images, and any entries using a DD image get entered into a SECOND drawing for 3 images, so you could conceivably win 8, yes, eight Digi Darla images!

If you use a Digi Darla image, make sure after you link up to add DD with your name so we won't miss you! 

My card today is a simple one which uses the Large Dogwood Blossom stamp from Digi Darla that you can find here and which I've colored with Copics.

I've used a fan-shaped letterpress on the base layer for a bit of added depth.

I've wrapped the larger layer with several rounds of linen twine then attached a vintage button and ladybug charm to the bow.

A few more vintage buttons and a sentiment complete this card.  

Thank you for joining me today, and I wish you a lovely Thursday.

Happy crafting!

Supplies:

Stamps: DD Large Dogwood Blossom, SU Teeny Tiny Wishes, Tiny Tags (tiny flowers)
Ink: Regal Rose, brown pigment
Paper: X-Press It Blending Card, Primrose Petals, Whisper White (SU), MME Lost & Found - Madison Ave.
Extras:  Dies: Designer Labels Stax (Dienamics), Letterpress Fancy Fan (SU), Copics, charm, vintage buttons, linen twine.

Challenges entered:

ALOTA #103 - Springtime
Timeless Tuesday #212 - Bring On Spring 
Crafts And Me #125 - Buttons and Bows
Inky Impressions #102 - Flowers 
Charisma Cardz Challenge #11 - Die Cuts
Delightful Challenges - Get Well Card 
Red Carpet Studio #29 - The Secret Garden (use flowers)
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes  
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #199 - Inspiration Picture (see below)

 

Pink Gems Challenge #72 - On The Move

Hello!

It's time for this week's challenge over at A Gem of a Challenge, and the theme this week (Challenge #72) is "On The Move."  This challenge will run from 8:00 AM March 23 to 6:00 PM March 29, and the prize for the winner will be 2 individual digi images (NOT SETS) from Pink Gem Designs.  So do head on over and see what the rest of the lovely Design Team have created, then join us, won't you?  We'd love to see you!

My card today uses the digi stamp Faye with Dandelion.  Isn't she cute?  I've colored her with Copics and used several colors of glitter pens on the hearts on her dress, the butterflies and the dandelion.  But first I stamped the base layer with a flourish stamp to add a bit of pattern under the other layers.

For the center of the dandelion, I've used a metal bead cap which I flattened and topped with a rhinestone.  I edged the wings with glitter.

Here you can see the shimmery hearts and butterfly hearts (and wing glitter) a little better.  I love glimmer and shimmer and anything sparkly.  I also shined up the heart in her hair with Glossy Accents.

I wrapped the narrow layer with baker's twine and tied it into a triple bow, then attached two tiny tags and the tiny butterfly.  A little stitching on this and the next larger layer completes this card.

Thank you so much for joining me, and I hope you'll pop by A Gem of a Challenge to play along.  Be sure to visit our talented Design Team to gather some inspiration!

Happy crafting!

Supplies:

Stamps: Faye with Dandelion (PGD); Tiny Tags, Creative Elements (SU)
Ink: Marina Mist (SU)
Paper: X-Press It Blending Card, Marina Mist, Real Red (SU), Echo Park Everyday Eclectic, yellow scrap
Extras: Dies: Rectangle Stax (Dienamics); Embosslits Beautiful Wings (SU); baker's twine; Copics, rhinestones, bead cap, glimmer pens, Glossy Accents, Opaque White (Copics), CI Resplendence Angel Dust, Jewelry Tag (SU).

Challenges entered:

Love to Create #57 - Anything Goes
Inky Impressions #102 - Flowers (a dandelion WAS a flower!)
Charisma Cardz Challenge #11 - Die Cuts
Frosted Designs - Up, Up and Away
 

Chicago Peace, and IBSIC Challenge #51

Hello!

Today is my third week as March Guest Designer to play with the lovely and talented Design Team over at Inspired By Stamping Inspiration Challenge (IBSIC), and I am so enjoying making these projects for them, but the time is flying by too quickly!  Wah!

This week's color challenge was truly a challenge for me and was inspired by this picture:

What was challenging is that it is completely out of my comfort zone of pinks, purples, vintage and/or shabby and required some creative thinking on my part.  But what good is a challenge if it's not, well, challenging?  At least I knew exactly which stamp I would use.

I used the single rose from the IBS Elegant Flowers set.  I've had this stamp for a few weeks and have been dying to color it.  I've attempted to color it as a Chicago Peace rose, though admittedly I took a little creative license with it.  OK, roses are the hardest flower to color, so I just did the best I could.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I colored the image with Copics and used the pointelle method behind it.  That white was just too stark.  Also too stark was the white doily, so I colored it with two colors of CI Paints, Mango and Peach.  One was too light, the other too dark, so I attempted to lighten it again.  Think three coats was enough?  *sigh*

Layered ribbon bows, a pearl, and a custom made stick pin form the embellishment, and a banner with a sentiment from the IBS stamp set Vintage Frames offset the central image.

A little stitching and a lacy border complete this card.  I hope you've enjoyed it, and I do hope you'll join the ladies over at IBSIC.  Make sure you stop by the DT to see the lovelies they've created for you this week!

Happy crafting!

Supplies:

Stamps: Elegant Flowers, Vintage Frames (IBS)
Ink: Versafine Smoky Gray, Garden Green, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: X-Press It Blending Card, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie (SU), MME Miss Caroline Howdy Doody
Extras: Dies: Decorative Doily, Faux Crochet Border (Dienamics), ribbon, pearls, custom stick pin, sewing machine, Copics, CI paints, .

Challenges entered:

ALOTA #103 - Springtime
The Shabby Tearoom #158 - Anything Goes
Timeless Tuesday #212 - Bring On Spring!
Inky Impressions #102 - Flowers
3 Girl Jam #14 - Green with Ribbon
Really Reasonable Ribbon #68 - Flowers and Ribbon
Allsorts #198 - As Easy as 1, 2, 3 (3 embellies: pearls, bows, stick pin)
Pile It On #11 - Circles and/or Squares
613 Ave. Create #11 - Anything Goes (Optional: St. Paddy's Day Green)

Rainbow Butterfly

Hello!

My card today uses a new technique for me, that being a watercolor rainbow effect.  

I have a long standing love affair with shimmer paints, and my background is comprised of them.  First, though, I want to give credit to a good blog friend of mine who made a fabulous card which inspired me to do this rainbow effect.  She is Heather North, and her lovely blog is Creative Blessings, with the rainbow card posted here.  Go check it out - this lady does fabulous work, always crisp, clean yet full of color and lovely texture!  Thanks for the inspiration, Heather! 

First I applied broad bands of regular dye ink to dampened watercolor paper, then I went over them with broad bands of shimmer paints in matching colors, applying them just as I did the inks, with a SU Aquapainter.  The shimmer is out of this world gorgeous IRL.

You can click on the picture to enlarge it and see the shimmer up close and personal. After all that painting and shimmering, I applied the stamp using Staz-On.  I did have to touch up a few spots as stamping on watercolor paper sometimes leaves faint areas, but a Copics multi-liner works quite nicely.

I've kept the rest of the card pretty simple so as to let the shimmery colors take center stage.  A fat little seam binding bow, a flower button, and a simple tag complete this card.

Thank you for joining me today and I wish you a lovely Tuesday!

Happy crafting!

Supplies:

Stamps: Large Swirled Butterfly (The Rubber Cafe); Teeny Tiny Wishes (SU)
Ink: So Saffron, Pretty In Pink, Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi, Perfect Plum (all SU), Staz-On, Tuxedo Black,
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Garden Green, Wild Wasabi, Subtles Stack (SU); watercolor paper
Extras: Creative Inspirations paints (Sage, Mellow Yellow, Blush, Sky Blue, Lavender), hand-dyed seam binding, flower button, Oval Punch and Word Window Punch (SU), Aquapainter (SU).

Challenges entered:

ALOTA#103 - Springtime
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Water
The Pink Elephant TPE 191 - Easter
Love to Create #57 - Anything Goes
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner #54 - Easter
The Ribbon Reel #49 - Spring Cottage
Frosted Designs - Up, Up and Away
My Sheri Crafts #106 - Easter
RRR#68 - Flowers and Ribbon (ok, there's only one flower...)

Easter Eggs - Digi Darla Challenge #54

Hello!

It's time for another challenge over at Digi Darla's Challenges, and this week's theme is Challenge #54 - Easter/Spring.  That means either an Easter card or simply one that conveys springtime, for which I'm sure most of us are more than ready. One winner will receive 5 Digi Darla images, and any entries using a DD image get entered into a SECOND drawing for 3 images, so you could conceivably win 8, yes, eight Digi Darla images!

If you use a Digi Darla image, make sure after you link up to add DD with your name so we won't miss you!


Today's card features the Digi Darla stamp "Easter Eggs," which you can find here. 

I embossed the white base layer with two different embossing folders, a swirl on top and a stripe on the bottom.  The pink lacy edge is a straight border that I snipped to wrap around the oval shape.  

I decided to do something a little different and color them with various colors of Creative Inspirations paints.  Check out the shimmer.  I LOVE using these paints!  I used some of the colors straight and mixed others.

I paper pieced most of the flowers and one of the eggs and used Copics on the remaining (purple) flower, grass and ground.  Tiny pearls form the flower centers.  It's hard to tell, but I used patterned paper for two of the flowers and colored toward the centers with Copics for a little added depth.

Little twill bow and tiny tag.

I colored the Candi's myself, using two colors of CI Paints as I didn't have any lavender brads.

Showing the dimension.

Thank you for joining me today, and I wish you a lovely week full of crafting happiness.

Happy crafting!

Supplies:

Stamps: Easter Eggs (Digi Darla), Easter Wishes (Flourishes)
Ink: printer, Memento Versafine Smoky Gray
Paper: X-Press It Blending Card; Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder, Pretty in Pink, Subtles Stack (SU)
Extras: Dies: Faux Crochet Border (Dienamics); Classic Tags (Flourishes); Copics, CI Paints, Candi, Candi Fix,  baker's twine, pearls, swirls and stripes embossing folders, twill ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon)

Challenges entered:

The Ribbon Reel #49 - Spring Cottage
ALOTA#103 - Springtime

Love to Create #57 - Anything Goes
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner #54 - Easter
Timeless Tuesday #211 - Go Green (incorporate green)
Tuesday Throwdown #138 - Paper Piecing
Ladybug Craft Ink - Springtime
Divas By Design - Put On Some Pink
Crafts and Me #124 - Ribbons and Lace
RRR #68 - Flowers and Ribbon
My Sheri Crafts #106 - Easter
Pile It On #11 - Circles and/or Squares
Allsorts - As Easy as 1, 2, 3 (Pink square and flower, and yellow flower are two dp; ribbon, Candi, pearls as 3 embellishments)

Friday Sketch Challenge #39 

Paris Roses and Challenge Day at IBSIC

Hello crafty friends!

Today is my second week to play with the girls as March Guest Designer over at the Inspired By Stamping Inspiration Challenge (IBSIC) blog, and once again there is a luscious color combination with which to play.  This is just SO much fun!

Aren't these colors gorgeous?  I love pastels and had a wonderful time playing with the paper and embellies and came up with this:

This card needed to be a little bigger than a standard A2, so I added an inch in both directions (6.5 x 5.25 in.), and I'll be honest - there was some white involved, but try as I might, I couldn't live with it, so I "fixed" it by stamping the first layer with blue French script and then sponging the three challenge colors on top.  The lace peeking out from under the pale green layer started screaming "I'm white too!" which of course then looked out of place, so it received some airbrushed Copics in pastel pink and blue.  Aaaah...all better now.

White just isn't my thing.

The paper with roses is from a deliciously rich pack of dp by Prima called "Annalee," and I've been eyeing this sheet of paper for the longest time until this particular sketch called out for them.  How's that for making dp work for you?  I stamped "Paris" (from the Paris stamp set by IBS) in Baja Breeze, but it was a wee bit faint in places so I used my SU Baja Breeze marker to darken it just a bit.

I embossed the clock face from the same stamp set with glittery gold embossing powder on another piece of dp from that same stack, then layered it onto a plain circle and a doily die cut.  The first doily was white.  It bothered me.  I changed it.

I made the bow using some wonderful silk ribbon in my stash and hung a charm from it that I made myself, then used a gold spacer with a rhinestone for the top. For this bow I used my handy dandy brand new homemade bow maker that I was inspired to make because of Joanna's bow tutorial (here).  Now granted, my bow maker doesn't look nearly as pretty and polished as the lovely one her darling FIL made for her, but it gets the job done! 

I could add more holes, but I find these serve quite nicely for various size bows.  The block of wood is far too long (originally meant for whittling) and you could use a scrap piece instead of wasting so much space.  Hmm... maybe I'll cut it in half and make my daughter a bow maker...

The flowers are from IBS and I've added some die cut leaves and flourishes.

A little stitching and some pearls finish this card that I enjoyed making every step of the way.

Thank you so much for joining me on my wordy, photo-heavy adventure today, and please don't forget to head on over to IBSIC to play along and see what the lovely design team have created for you!  They'd love to see you!

Happy crafting!

Supplies:

Stamps: Paris (IBS), En Francais (SU)
Ink: Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, Bashful Blue (SU), Versamark
Paper: Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride, Pool Party, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi (SU); Annalee (Prima)
Extras: Dies: Circle Stax, Dainty Doily Duo, Fancy Flourish (all Dienamics); Foliage (SB); crochet lace, Copics, airbrush, IBS roses, silk ribbon, custom charm, rhinestone, pearls, bead spacer, sewing machine, SU marker, gold ep (Zing).

Challenges entered:

The Shabby Tea Room #157 - Oh-So Pretty in Pink
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Chic to Be Shabby
Incy Wincy Designs - Things That Being With "F" (flowers, flourishes, French script)
Ladybug Crafts Ink - Springtime
Creative Card Crew #31 - Ribbon
Divas By Design - Put On Some Pink
Crafts and Me #124 - Ribbons and Lace
Allsorts #197 - Springtime


Mojo Monday Sketch #284